


Far From Love

by starrylitme



Category: Super Dangan Ronpa 2, Super Dangan Ronpa 2.5
Genre: Background Relationships, Dreams vs. Reality, Gen, M/M, Mental Instability, Minor Violence, Pining, Reality Bending, Slice of Life, Surreal, Threats of Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:06:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28012893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starrylitme/pseuds/starrylitme
Summary: “Everyone gets what they need and you get them what they want,” the shadow drones. “But what about you? Isn’t there someone you want that this world won’t give you?”He refuses.(SDR2.5 AU featuring Komaeda being stubborn.)
Relationships: Hinata Hajime/Komaeda Nagito, Kamukura Izuru/Komaeda Nagito, Komaeda Nagito & Kuzuryu Fuyuhiko & Soda Kazuichi, Komaeda Nagito/World Destroyer
Comments: 8
Kudos: 141





	Far From Love

**Author's Note:**

> I was requested "Lotus-Eater Machine with Komaeda/Destroyer" for the Bad Things Happen Bingo FOREVER AGO. I'm deeply ashamed. Where is the briquette?

For as long as his life had been bright and dazzling, there’s always been a shadow looming over his shoulder. A blight always threatening to eclipse the sunshine, and something that he had to continually ignore to the best of his abilities. He doesn’t know when, exactly or why—but it’s just something he has learned to live with.

“That is a _deception_ ,” the shadow murmurs to him, gripping his shoulders. “You truly are so _troublesome_.”

The shadow was an annoyance. But, it’s fine. No matter what the shadow says, the world remained bright and sparkling as it was supposed to.

As it _had_ to.

* * *

“Komaeda!” Souda is waving at him frantically, with a grin splitting his face wide open.

_~~(Not like how when the shadow had ripped his jaw clean off just the other day—)~~ _

“We’re going to the arcade!” Souda announces, then, upbeat as ever. Beaming like he should. “You, me, Kuzuryuu! We haven’t had the chance to hang out in way too long!”

“Idiot,” Kuzuryuu griped. “We see each other in class all the damn time.”

“That’s different!” Souda harrumphed before smirking. “Besides, you spend all of classtime making googly eyes at your girlfriend.”

“Wha—?!” Kuzuryuu’s face lit up, red and furious. “How many fucking times do I gotta tell you that it’s not like that?! Peko’s just a childhood friend of mine! Not... Not...” He trailed off into a flustered sputter. “N-Not my _girlfriend_...”

“How are things going with Sonia-san again?” Komaeda asks cheerfully, and Souda gets even brighter.

“She’s beautiful as always! You’d make Pekoyama a happy girl, too, if you weren’t such a coward, Kuzuryuu...”

“What was that?!” Kuzuryuu snapped heatedly. “You want to say that to my fucking face?!”

“Hey, come on, don’t get that serious, haha! I’m joking! We both know she’s already pretty happy!”

“O...Obviously... Idiot... What the hell ever, let’s just go.”

Komaeda giggled at them. Isn’t it nice? Isn’t this _nice_?

“Komaeda, what about you?” Souda wonders then. “Are you happy?”

“Of course!” He doesn’t hesitate. “Why wouldn’t I be? Oh, please don’t tell me it’s because I don’t have a girlfriend...”

“Please don’t tell him that,” Kuzuryuu deadpanned. “You know how he is.”

This time, Souda gets rattled, pinker than his hair.

“I-I wouldn’t! I get it, I do! I really, really, really—”

The shadow twists his head off, but it only lasts for a second.

“I do! I do get it!”

Kuzuryuu grunted, but he gave Komaeda the kind of supportive, considerate glance that he was so prone to. It made him happy, it really, truly did. Souda trying so hard also made him happy.

See, this world was perfect. Ideal. Even when people were confused or insecure, others were willing to support them and help them understand. And people always tried to do better, with little in the way to stop them. Determination and good intentions ran everything. Nothing more, nothing less.

People liked and accepted him, even if he wasn’t significant in the cosmic sense. And his own existence helped others. Wasn’t that wonderful? It really was wonderful, especially when at the arcade, him almost getting knocked out lead to Souda getting one of the best prizes.

Souda was cheering, Kuzuryuu helped him up graciously, and the shadow—the shadow’s stare bore into him, piercing under the drones of arcade machines and little pew, pew, pews from the several rounds of Galaga being played.

* * *

“See,” he says, holding a bag of ice to his head. “This world is perfect. I don’t need your interference.”

To make up for his injury, Souda bought him strawberry bubble tea. It’s pretty obnoxiously sweet, but it’s the thought that counts and he likes strawberry. It’s just fine. Kuzuryuu and Souda are bantering good-naturedly even as Komaeda stares down the shadow.

“It’s fine,” he insists. “Everything is fine. Not only is everyone getting what they need, I’m able to get them what they _want_. And nothing stands in our way.”

“Hmph.”

The shadow takes his drink, pinching at the straw as he sips from it. It’s such a ridiculous image that Komaeda wants to break into hysterical laughter, but he stops, stops, _stops_.

Across the street, there’s a happy couple sharing ice cream. It’s such a nostalgic image, one that makes him think of—of something. Something he can’t quite grasp. Under the eternally summer sun, where waves lapped along an endless beach. Wasn’t Mioda there playing a song? Weren’t his classmates playing in the water? All except for—

Komaeda blinked. Everything froze.

“Everyone gets what they need and you get them what they want,” the shadow drones. “But what about you? Isn’t there someone you want that this world won’t give you?”

Kuzuryuu and Souda have been scribbled out crudely. Even as Komaeda frantically tries to remake them, the images just get more and more muddled until they, too, become shadows. Shadow upon shadow upon shadow, staring him down with piercing red eyes. All with that same _image_.

“Komaeda,” one of the shadows says, then, but without a gaze at all. “What are you doing sitting by yourself? Don’t you get lonely?”

“I... I-It’s fine! It’s absolutely fine!” he exclaims quickly, forcing out a laugh. “Just seeing everyone else happy is enough for me. I don’t... I don’t need to ruin that happiness for them just to brazenly indulge. It’s enough...”

Everyone is carefree. There’s no need for wishes, for desires, for hope. Everything comes naturally, because people are so wonderfully capable. He _doesn’t_ —

Then shadow before him shifts. In several forms. One he only passed by and only spared a glance. One that so brilliantly shot him down. The one that had been haunting him for so long, tearing everything else around him asunder. All in that same dark suit, until finally, they don something simpler. Warmer. A plain uniform consisting of a white shirt, a green tie, and dark pants. Komaeda’s stare bores into the heart-shaped pin on the breast pocket before going up and—

**_Ah_**.

The shadow smiles at him. Touches his cheek. It’s such a warm smile, contrasted against that amusingly prickly appearance. He’s always known that this person was so kind, so wonderful... How they press their forehead to his, humming softly.

How they disappear in an instance when Komaeda tries to cup one of their hands with his own.

“Komaeda?”

He blinks several times, coming to. Souda and Kuzuryuu are staring at him. They’re immediately worried. To be cared for like this is almost too much for his heart to take.

“Is everything alright?”

The shadow stares up at him, cold and knowing. Another shadow wraps its arms around his waist, holding him tight in ways he never dared to dream.

“Everything’s alright,” he lies, and his expression doesn’t even change when with a flick of the shadow’s wrist, both Souda and Kuzuryuu are slumped over and dead, blood pooling around their skulls. What a mess.

The shadow holding him squeezes him. Whispers his name, “Komaeda.” Pleads with him, _“Wake up.”_

Komaeda shuts his eyes, rebuilding the world once more.


End file.
